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Devastation at Kostiantynivka (Photo: Ukraine's 93rd Brigade / Facebook)
Russian forces have reached the outskirts of Kostiantynivka,
Donetsk Oblast, from multiple directions and are pressing into the city, OSINT
(open-source intelligence) analytical project DeepState said on June 16.
DeepState said Russian infantry has been observed entering from the east via Novodmytrivka and from the towns of Berestok and Illinivka. After seizing forward positions, analysts said, Russian forces appear to be shifting to a strategy of prolonged absorption of the city, a pattern DeepState compared to the capture of nearby Pokrovsk.
“Attempts at chaotic clearing operations are being repeated
despite the fact that the enemy has room to advance and can shift positions
when necessary,” DeepState said.
Fighters on the ground reported a large number of Russian infantry that DeepState characterized as disproportionate to the resources available to Ukraine’s defenders.
Analysts added that Russian troops are trying to gain control of a narrow corridor in the northern part of Kostiantynivka and to cut off the city’s central and southern districts from normal supply. They said the simplest way to do that would be to physically reach the area with infantry, set ambushes as in Pokrovsk and coordinate strikes with pilots for fire control. DeepState noted the movement can be seen on maps as a growing gray zone.
The group also said Russian forces are heavily bombarding Kostiantynivka and reducing much of the town to rubble, saying the destruction will soon make the city difficult to hold. DeepState accused Russian units of rushing to produce AI-edited videos claiming captures of the city or parts of it. Analysts warned that the push to secure forward lines is being made at the cost of heavy Russian losses.
DeepState said Russian commanders are aware of
Kostiantynivka’s strategic importance as a gateway to the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk
agglomeration. If Kostiantynivka falls, the analysts warned, Druzhkivka — now a
critical logistics hub — could be next, followed by Kramatorsk. They said a
Russian takeover of Kostiantynivka would drastically complicate logistics and
movement for Ukraine’s defense forces in the area and make even Kramatorsk far
more vulnerable to enemy air strikes.
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